In my first post I stated that I would share any tips that have been helpful throughout this adventure. Well, here are a few.
In regards to a colic baby. Here is what worked for us.
-I stopped nursing at 3 months and we put her on Enfamil Nutramigen. I don't know if we just reached that golden age of the colic stopping or if the formula did the trick, but she did soooooo much better after the switch. Of course I was hesitant to stop nursing so soon but this worked for us so I'm not gonna question it. Buyer Beware!!! - Nutramigen is stinky and the spit up is stinky, be warned. We have since moved to regular Enfamil Infant and she is doing great.
-She was prescribed by our Dr. .5ml Prevacid twice a day. This stopped the spit-ups that shot out of her nose which made us all much happier. She will probably be on this for at least 6 mos.
-Swaddling! Do it! She felt secure and it truly helps her sleep. We use the Aiden and Anais brand. They are large, which makes for good wrapping and they have a stretch to them which allows for a snug swaddle. I have also heard good things about the "magic blanket" and the Summertime swaddles that velcro but I have not personally used those.
-Babywise. OK, I'm on the fence with this one. On one hand, it was good to have a schedule as a guide. But, on the other hand, our baby was a little more of a challenge and a schedule just didn't work with her. You can make yourself (and your baby) a little crazy trying to fit into a schedule. Sometimes you just have to let nature take it's course. DO NOT feel bad if Babywise does not work for you. There is nothing wrong with you or your baby if their methods just don't pan out. However, I do have friends who swear by Babywise and have happy, healthy babies who sleep great. So, if it works for you - Awesome!, if not- no big deal.
-Baby Einstein Takealong Tunes! OMG! This toy, which plays classical music and lights up, was a miracle! That is really all I can say. You have to get one. She stopped crying instantly and would watch those lights dance like they were the most interesting soap opera ever!
-Vacuuming. I would put Sophie in the Baby Bjorn and vacuum. She seemed to like the noise. Now, there is only so much time you can vacuum. But it worked for us.
-Music in general. Calmed the savage beast.
Overall, just hang in there. It will get better and the happy baby you envisioned will emerge. For us, it took 4 months. We are just starting to meet the fun, cute Sophie that we dreamed about. I promise, you DO NOT have the unhappiest baby in the world. I thought this many times and wondered what the Hell we were doing wrong. Sometimes all it takes is time.
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Monday, April 11, 2011
Welcome Home Baby! Part 3 (Final)
We leave the pediatrician's office with me, still an un-medicated, starving,exhausted, stressed out wreck and now have to head to the hospital to get my sweet Sophie's blood drawn to check her jaundice levels. I must insert an apology here to Dr. T. I did leave a banana peel in your parking lot. I was so very hungry and a banana was the only snack I could quickly grab from home. Remember that this level of tired and miserable will make you act out of character. I hope that no one took a cartoon-like fall on behalf of my littering.
MIL and I get baby to hospital and begin the super-fun process of check in. I swear, my oral French finals from college were easier than this check-in process. We then get escorted to the lab waiting room where the only available seats were the toddler-sized table and chairs. Let me tell ya, my booty plopped right down on one of those pint-sized chairs and I swear I have never been so grateful for seating in my life. Even if it was approx. 12" off the floor.
My MIL, who is now quite worried about me, goes off to find me some sustenance. (Don't worry about Sophie, she's been fed and has been sleeping soundly. Good for her!) She returns with O.J. and a chocolate covered marshmallow Santa. (It is Christmas time after all) Screw any brunch I've ever had. That dang Santa was the best thing I ever ate!
A heel prick for Sophie proves that she is indeed jaundice and not just a pretty tan like we had hoped. We then, finally, get sent home and now have to wait for the magical jaundice man (because in my stupor I swear I do NOT remember where this man came from) to come to my house to deliver Sophie's Bili-blanket.
I have never heard of a Bili-blanket but it sounds just like Aladdin's magic carpet. In reality, not so much. It's like a plastic paddle attached to a hose attached to a whirring machine. It does glow blue, which is kind of cool. But your baby does look a bit nuclear when you have to stick it under their clothes and up against their skin. Oh! But the extra special bit of fun is that this blue light paddle makes your baby poo and pee like a machine. Who would've thought?!!!
24 hours later our little gal was a healthy shade of pink and pale. Bye bye magical machine. And "officially" welcome home Sophie!
MIL and I get baby to hospital and begin the super-fun process of check in. I swear, my oral French finals from college were easier than this check-in process. We then get escorted to the lab waiting room where the only available seats were the toddler-sized table and chairs. Let me tell ya, my booty plopped right down on one of those pint-sized chairs and I swear I have never been so grateful for seating in my life. Even if it was approx. 12" off the floor.
My MIL, who is now quite worried about me, goes off to find me some sustenance. (Don't worry about Sophie, she's been fed and has been sleeping soundly. Good for her!) She returns with O.J. and a chocolate covered marshmallow Santa. (It is Christmas time after all) Screw any brunch I've ever had. That dang Santa was the best thing I ever ate!
A heel prick for Sophie proves that she is indeed jaundice and not just a pretty tan like we had hoped. We then, finally, get sent home and now have to wait for the magical jaundice man (because in my stupor I swear I do NOT remember where this man came from) to come to my house to deliver Sophie's Bili-blanket.
I have never heard of a Bili-blanket but it sounds just like Aladdin's magic carpet. In reality, not so much. It's like a plastic paddle attached to a hose attached to a whirring machine. It does glow blue, which is kind of cool. But your baby does look a bit nuclear when you have to stick it under their clothes and up against their skin. Oh! But the extra special bit of fun is that this blue light paddle makes your baby poo and pee like a machine. Who would've thought?!!!
24 hours later our little gal was a healthy shade of pink and pale. Bye bye magical machine. And "officially" welcome home Sophie!
Welcome Home Baby! Part 2
After a very long day we leave the hospital with strict instructions to get our little gal checked by her pediatrician the next day because she was bordering on jaundice. We head home where my fantastic mother-in-law (yes, I did use the word "fantastic" to describe my MIL. I'm a lucky gal right?) has prepared a great salmon dinner for us. However, reality and sleep deprivation are starting to kick in to full gear so, really, I could have been eating dog food and probably not known the difference. Then it is time for our first bed time as a family.
Now, I don't know how many of you have slept in a room with a newborn but they sound alot like little warthogs while they sleep. Our gal did indeed sleep pretty well that first night home but the grunting piggy noises didn't exactly lure us to sleep. Also, as a nursing mom, you feed your newborn about every 3 hours (that's from beginning of feeding to beginning of next feeding). And, since they take about 30 min. to eat, well you do the math as to how much actual sleep you get. For a person who would list "napping" as a fave thing to do, this was a slight shock to my system.
I get up the next morning (ungodly early) and call the baby doc who tells us they can fit us in in 30 min. Cue the circus music and let the show begin! Panic! Get baby up! Get baby dressed! No, that onesie isn't buttoned up correctly but there is no time to fix. Yep, I think her diaper is indeed wet but again, no time to fix, will change her when we get there. Make-up for me, who are you kidding! Hair brushed? Nope, put on a hat. Teeth brushed? Nope, get some gum. Breakfast? Forget about it. Oh! And did I mention that I got home too late the night before to pick up my pain meds (C-sect. recovery) from the pharmacy? So I'm going on little-to-no sleep, no breakfast no pain meds. Awesome!
Roll into the Dr.'s office late, of course,and kind of looking like a crazy person with my baby in an outfit half buttoned and a wet diaper. I'm surprised social services weren't called. Get into the exam room and, guess what? It's time to feed the baby. Whip out the boob because at this point pride has left the building. Now keep in mind, this is the first time I have met this pediatrician. You can imagine what kind of first impression I must have made when he walked in to the disheveled mess that was waiting for him in that exam room. I must say, the way he let it roll off him, I must not have been the first mom to come into his office looking like the hot mess that I was. So, for making me feel like I was perfectly normal and not taking a ride on the crazy train, Dr. T has become one of our favorite people!
Stay tuned for Part 3.
Now, I don't know how many of you have slept in a room with a newborn but they sound alot like little warthogs while they sleep. Our gal did indeed sleep pretty well that first night home but the grunting piggy noises didn't exactly lure us to sleep. Also, as a nursing mom, you feed your newborn about every 3 hours (that's from beginning of feeding to beginning of next feeding). And, since they take about 30 min. to eat, well you do the math as to how much actual sleep you get. For a person who would list "napping" as a fave thing to do, this was a slight shock to my system.
I get up the next morning (ungodly early) and call the baby doc who tells us they can fit us in in 30 min. Cue the circus music and let the show begin! Panic! Get baby up! Get baby dressed! No, that onesie isn't buttoned up correctly but there is no time to fix. Yep, I think her diaper is indeed wet but again, no time to fix, will change her when we get there. Make-up for me, who are you kidding! Hair brushed? Nope, put on a hat. Teeth brushed? Nope, get some gum. Breakfast? Forget about it. Oh! And did I mention that I got home too late the night before to pick up my pain meds (C-sect. recovery) from the pharmacy? So I'm going on little-to-no sleep, no breakfast no pain meds. Awesome!
Roll into the Dr.'s office late, of course,and kind of looking like a crazy person with my baby in an outfit half buttoned and a wet diaper. I'm surprised social services weren't called. Get into the exam room and, guess what? It's time to feed the baby. Whip out the boob because at this point pride has left the building. Now keep in mind, this is the first time I have met this pediatrician. You can imagine what kind of first impression I must have made when he walked in to the disheveled mess that was waiting for him in that exam room. I must say, the way he let it roll off him, I must not have been the first mom to come into his office looking like the hot mess that I was. So, for making me feel like I was perfectly normal and not taking a ride on the crazy train, Dr. T has become one of our favorite people!
Stay tuned for Part 3.
Welcome Home Baby! Part 1
Now bringing home your first born child should be a milestone, magical moment. Well, let's go over how it went down at my house.
To preface, my parents were planning on being at my house (visiting from Kansas City) when we got home. And as every first time mom knows, you need your momma during this time because you are actually coming home from the hospital with a BABY! Seriously, I don't know if we thought this one through very well. I mean, we didn't even know where to set Sophie down when we got home. Poor girl!
However, the day before we left the hospital, my father, who was graciously watching our 90 lb. lab, took the dog on a morning walk. I get a phone call from my mom a little while later saying that she and my dad were on their way up to the hospital to see Sophie and I but they may take little while because they have to stop by the ER first. What?!
Turns out, our sweet and normally calm dog decided it would be pretty funny to see his grand-pa do a face plant on the sidewalk and promptly brought him down faster than Daniel getting his leg swept in Karate Kid! A trip to the ER and an X-ray later my dad comes in with a cast, dislocated finger and cracked pinkie finger.
So, mom and dad had to head home to Kansas City early because dad had to meet with a hand surgeon to have a plate put into his finger! This leads to the inevitable hormonal break-down on my part because my parent's are leaving me with a baby! Cue the wonderful, foreign nurse who holds onto me while I cry and tells me that it is perfectly normal while my terrified husband looks on wondering what has happened to his strong and feisty wife. Poor thing now has two crying women to deal with, me and Sophie. Oh happy days.
Stay tuned for Part 2.
To preface, my parents were planning on being at my house (visiting from Kansas City) when we got home. And as every first time mom knows, you need your momma during this time because you are actually coming home from the hospital with a BABY! Seriously, I don't know if we thought this one through very well. I mean, we didn't even know where to set Sophie down when we got home. Poor girl!
However, the day before we left the hospital, my father, who was graciously watching our 90 lb. lab, took the dog on a morning walk. I get a phone call from my mom a little while later saying that she and my dad were on their way up to the hospital to see Sophie and I but they may take little while because they have to stop by the ER first. What?!
Turns out, our sweet and normally calm dog decided it would be pretty funny to see his grand-pa do a face plant on the sidewalk and promptly brought him down faster than Daniel getting his leg swept in Karate Kid! A trip to the ER and an X-ray later my dad comes in with a cast, dislocated finger and cracked pinkie finger.
So, mom and dad had to head home to Kansas City early because dad had to meet with a hand surgeon to have a plate put into his finger! This leads to the inevitable hormonal break-down on my part because my parent's are leaving me with a baby! Cue the wonderful, foreign nurse who holds onto me while I cry and tells me that it is perfectly normal while my terrified husband looks on wondering what has happened to his strong and feisty wife. Poor thing now has two crying women to deal with, me and Sophie. Oh happy days.
Stay tuned for Part 2.
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